Luggage lockers and the like



March 24, 1964 H. .1. DOLMAN LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 17, 1960 v INVENTOR Gem JAMES DMM W BY WYW March 24, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN.

LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 17, 1960 ATTORNEYS March 24, 1964 Filed Nov. 17, 1960 H. J. DOLMAN LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheet-Sheet s 54 INVENTOR QHEM RvJ-mesbmm A TTOR/VE Y March 24, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN 3,126,081

LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE I Filed Nov. 17, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig .10.

//V l/E N TOR szkYmmzs Domm A TTORA/E Y5 March 24, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN 3,125,081

LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 17, 1960 x 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig .5.

I5 0 I64 4 43 I39 I9- J I w L l/VVENTOR NRY JZMEs DQLMAN BY ATTORA/EXs March 24, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN 6,

LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 17, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet s 2 O l\ N lNl/ENTOR HAN/TY JAMES DoLMAN N BY WMMv A TTORIVE Y5 March 24, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 17, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 A T TORNE Xi- March 24, 1964 H. J. DOHLMAN .LUGGAQE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Nov. 17, 1960 R mm mm V Wm P Y "m M J I Y OH [I IlIJII I m 5M 'H NHW ATTORNEX1 March 24, 1964- H. J. DOLMAN LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed NOV. 17, 1960 IN VEIV TOR HENEYJAMES DQLMAN A Tram/5 United States Patent 3,126,081 LUGGAGE LOCKERS AND LIKE Henry James Dolman, 72 Church Road, Staple Hill, Bristol, England Filed Nov. 17, 196i), Ser. No. 69,982 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 20, 1959 18 Claims. (Cl. 194-4) This invention relates to control or lock mechanisms and in particular to a coin-operable lock mechanism for luggage lockers and the like available for short-term renting.

The main object of this invention is, broadly stated, to provide an improved control mechanism which delivers a release element for subsequent use in operating said mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a control mechanism wherein one of a series of release elements of slightly differing physical characteristics is extractable when a releasing action is performed, the extracted release element in the course of its delivery from the mechanism, dimensionally setting or conditioning a selector so that thereafter said control mechanism cannot be operated except on the insertion into the selector of a release element having the same dimensional characteris tics as those which previously set or conditioned said selector.

The said release elements are preferably of disc form.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a control mechanism which is coin operated.

It has already been proposed to provide a luggage locker with a coin-operable lock mechanism adapted to deliver a release element, such as a key, which the user, after having opened the locker and deposited articles therein for safe keeping, and having closed the locker (which may lock automatically) retains in his possession until such time as he requires access to the locker again. In the act of gaining access to the locker again the release element needs to be replaced in the lock mechanism, by which the release element is held in store pending deliverance in response to the insertion of a coin or coins.

It has been previously pointed out that in connection with keys or release elements made available for a coin operable lock mechanism there is the danger of piltering by way of a person securing temporary possession of the release element, usually a key allotted to a particular locker, making a duplicate of the key and after returning the original key to make it available for another user, awaiting an opportunity when unauthorised access to that same locker may be gained later by use of the duplicate key.

Accordingly another object of the present invention is to provide an improved coin-operable lock mechanism for luggage lockers or the like which delivers one of a series of disc release elements having thicknesses and diameters which difier slightly one from another, said disc release element during delivery dimensionally conditioning setting means according to both thickness and diameter. Both of the conditioning dimensions need to be present in a disc to make it acceptable for operating separately two conditioned setting means, so that the risk of unauthorised access to a locker by means of a duplicate of the particular form of release element obtained at a given time is so remote as to be practically negligible.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for the delivery of a single disc release element when an appropriate coin is inserted by a prospective user of the locker, and as the disc release elements dilifer in form or shape one from another, the extracted release element in the course of its delivery from the lock mechanism conditions dimensionally separate setting means of "ice a selector device to an extent determined by the particular form or shape of said release element, so that only that release element (or an accurate duplicate thereof) can subsequently successively pass through and operate the separate setting means of a selector thus conditioned. Since each release element differs from all others in the magazine, the extent by which each release element dimensionally conditions the selector also differs and as the set of release elements in the magazine can be readily replaced by another set by a person in charge of the lockers, and therefore to gain unauthorised access by a dupli- 0211116, it would be necessary to operate the lock mechanism a large number of times, each time making a duplicate of the release element before returning to the mechanism, thus making it extremely improbable that this method could be applied to defraud. By the expression dimen sionally condition I mean that conditioning movement of setting means by the issuing release element is precise, in accordance with dimensions which as between one release element and another may difier by as little as say one hundredth of an inch, in contradistinction to merely moving latch elements well clear of the release element, as previously proposed with a notched-plate key or release element.

One form of coin-controlled lock mechanism for a locker door according to the invention comprises a magazine containing a stack of discs each differing from another in diameter and or thickness, a locking bolt initially releasable by a coin for locking movement and subsequently releasable by a disc for an equivalent unlocking movement and exteriorly operable means for actuating said locking bolt to efiect locking movement upon insertion of an acceptable coin and unlocking after insertion of an acceptable disc. The lock mechanism incorporates two selectors, one a coin selector which is responsive to an acceptable coin inserted in said coin selector and serving to position said coin for bolt operation, and the other a disc selector which is responsive to an acceptable disc inserted in said disc selector and serving to position said disc for bolt operation. A disc extraction means is provided for actuation by said exteriorly-operable means to extract discs singly in succession from one end of the stack of discs in said magazine and to deliver said disc to the inserter of the coin. The selector of the lock mechanism includes separate setting means respectively influenced by the diameter and thickness of the extracted disc as it is being delivered for the purpose of conditioning said ,disc selector so that thereafter it will release the locking bolt for the subsequent unlocking movement only when the disc then insented is acceptable on account of having the same diameter and thickness as the delivered disc which previously conditioned the disc selector and thus cap-able of successively operating each of the separate selector setting means. Preferably the mechanism incorporates means whereby an acceptable disc is returned to the other end of the stack of discs in the magazine, after having served to permit an unlocking movement.

As already indicated, the release elements are preferably in the nature of a set of discs of different thickness and diameter combination (or sets of rectilinear plates of which the lengths or Widths or thicknesses difier) and in both cases the release combinations may be multiplied by the use of detectable recesses or other surface formations.

In practice, a luggage locker installation would be provided which comprises a plurality of lockers built into a common casing, and alongside of each locker is detachably mounted, also in the common casing, one of a series of interchangeable coin-operable lock mechanisms.

By way of example, an embodiment of the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described in which use is made of a set of discs for access purposes. Each of the lock units referred to consists of an assembly of mechanisms mounted on a framework extending rearwardly from a carrier plate, which has two slots, one to receive a coin for rental of the locker and the other to receive a release element in the form of a flat disc, at set of discs being stacked in a storage magazine behind said carrier plate, for delivery singly and in succession, one disc for each coin inserted. One of the mechanisms behind the carrier plate is a selecting device through which a disc has to pass before it can reach the locker door release mechanism, said selecting device having been set or conditioned on previous delivery of said disc, so that only that particular disc is effective to pass through said disc selecting device. Each lock unit is provided also with a turn-shaft which is lockable against any substantial rotary movement, but which when freed for movement may be turned by an exteriorly accessible knob or handle to lock or unlock the door of the appropriate locker. A fullstroke device may be incorporated in each lock unit, to ensure that the knob or handle referred to must be turned to its full extent in both directions and not reversible from a midway position.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention of unit construction and in the form of a coin-controlled lock mechanism for a locker door and using release elements of disc form.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lock unit, looking mainly at the one side thereof;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but looking mainly at the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the lock unit, looking in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a part-sectional vertical view, taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 and showing in particular the disc diameter and thickness checking means,

FIG. 5 is a part-sectional vertical view, taken along line V--V in FIG. 3 and showing in particular the bolt operating means and coin and disc chute obstructing means,

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the disc extraction slide, disc magazine and disc delivery chute,

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken along line VIIVII in FIG. 3 showing in particular the construction of the disc selector,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front view of the unit, looking in the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 3, and showing the IN USE and EMPTY indicating means,

FIG. 9 is a part-sectional perspective view of a locker installation employing coin-controlled lock units as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8,

FIG. 10 is a part-sectional perspective view of one of the disc type release elements employed, and

FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary views illustrating stages during the unlocking of the lock unit; in these figures some components shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 have been omitted for clearness.

The majority of the stationary and movable components of the various mechanism which compose the lock unit are visible more particularly in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 of the drawings, other essential parts being shown in FIGS. 4 to 7; FIGS. 11 and 12 serve mainly to illustrate certain actions of the lock unit mechanism, as hereinafter described.

For convenience of manufacture, initial assembly and maintenance the frameworkof each lock unit X (FIG. 9) would consist of a number of brackets and supporting sur faces suitably secured together, but for purposes of description the framework will be considered as comprised mainly of a main vertical carrier bracket 1, a horizontal base 2 and a vertical flange 3 at right angles to said carrier bracket 1 and to said base 2. The bracket 1, the base 2 and the flange 3 may form integral parts of a casting or of a welded structure, secured by means of the flange 3 behind a vertical front plate 4.

The turnshaft 5 already referred to is suitably journalled 4- for rotation in bearings 42, 43, formed in the carrier bracket 1 and lies horizontal and parallel to said base 2, with one end of the shaft 5 projecting through the vertical flange 3 and the front plated to receive an operating knob 6 which is the only operative movable part accessible to the user on the exterior of the locker installation.

Above the operating knob 6 two slots '7, 8 are provided in said front plate 4, the slot 7 being adapted to receive a coin B (or coins) see FIG. 3 for delivery to a coin sclector mechanism C of any suitable construction. The other slot 8 is for the reception of a disc A previously obtained from the lock unit X as the result of inserting the required coin in the slot 7, as hereinafter described.

On the turnshaft 5 is firmly secured a quadrant plate 9 carrying two release pawls 1b and 11 (hereinafter referred to as the disc release pawl and the coin release pawl respectively) and mounted on pins 45, 44 respectively, provided at opposite ends of the peripheral edge 12 of quadrant plate 9.

The coin release pawl 11 on being pivoted on its pin 44, as described later, serves to allow the shaft 5 to be turned in one direction, that is, to shoot a bolt 13 by anticlockwise turning of knob 6 (FIG. 12) to lock the door 16 of the associated locker Z after the insertion into the mechanism of a suitable coin B through slot 7, on the occasion of renting the locker. The disc release pawl 11) serves to permit of the withdrawal of bolt 13 for unlocking of the locker door 16 after the insertion into the mechanism of a disc A through slot 8, when subsequently desiring access to the locker; this is effected by turning knob 6 clockwise (FIG. 11).

If the required coin B or disc A is not in position at the appropriate time for abutment by the corresponding pawl 11 or 10, catch elements in the form of fixed abutment surfaces 46 and 47 obstruct said pawls 11 and 10 respectively and prevent sufficient turning of the quadrant plate 9 and its shaft 5 to operate the lock one way or the other. The abutment surface 46 is provided on a bracket 48 fixed to one side of carrier bracket 1 and abutment surface 47 is provided on a block 4h fixed to the other side of said carrier bracket 1.

The, locker door bolt 13 is slidably mounted in the lock mechanism for operation simultaneously with the quadrant plate 9 as it is rocked by turning shaft 5 by means of knob 6. This bolt 13 is pivotally secured at its inner end by a pin 14 to a sectoral web 15 fixedly carried by said shaft 5 and supported near its outer end by a bracket 50 secured to flange 3. The bolt 13 locks or unlocks the locker door 16 (see especially FIG. 5) according to the permitted direction of sliding. The sectoral Web 15 is formed with teeth 51 on its periphery which co-operate with a spring-centralized pawl 52 pivoted on a pin 53 on the flange 3, said web teeth 51 and pawl 52 together constituting a full-stroke device to ensure that knob 6 and components moved thereby must complete a full stroke in the-direction of turning, the knob 6 being latched by pawl 52 against reverse movement from a mid-stroke position.

When a coin B is inserted into the coin slot 7 it passes through a coin selector C and if acceptable thereby eventually comes to rest on a supporting ridge 17 (FIG. 1) forming part of quadrant plate 9, adjacent the coin pawl 11, so that as said quadrant is turned with shaft 5, by reason of contact with coin B said pawl 11 is swung clear of its catch abutment 46 to permit the shaft 5 to be turned or rocked from one end of its stroke to the other. As the result of this permitted turning or rocking movement of the shaft 5, the locker door 16 is bolted by the outwardsliding of bolt 13 which is pivotally mounted on the web 15 carried by said shaft 5.

A hook-shaped plate 18 (FIG. 6) is pivotally supported on the carrier bracket 1 by a pin 54 arranged at right angles to shaft 5, so that the plate 18 is rockable in a vertical plane. The plate 18 is provided on its periphery with teeth 55 which are in constant mesh with teeth 56 a 7 provided on a rack 1 secured to a flatly disposed disc extractor slide 249 slidable over the top horizontal surface of a bottom plate 57 secured to the underside of the base 2;.

Attached to the toothed plate 18 isa bevel gear sector 58 wlnch meshes with a complementary bevel gear sector 59 fixed to the quadrant plate 9, so that on the shaft 5 being turned rotary motion is imparted through said gear sectors 58, 5 to the toothed plate 18 and thence through rack 19 to slide 24 This action is performed against the opposition of a compression spring 64} (FIG. 2) which is interposed between a swivel block 61 on plate 13 and another swivel block 62 carried by the base 2, said spring 60 serving to return the plate 18 to the end of its stroke in both directions.

The slide 2% is provided with an aperture 24 extending in from one side of the slide and normally this slide aperture 24 is located beneath a disc magazine 21 (supported by the base plate 2) and receives therewithin the lowermost disc A of a stack of discs A1 stored in said magazine. Hence as the slide is slid over the bottom plate 57 it draws away said lowermost disc A from beneath the magazine 21, the remaining stacked discs therein being supported by the top face of slide 20.

The extracted disc A is eventually brought by slide 24) over an opening 63 in bottom plate 57, through which the disc A drops into a chute 22 which delivers it to, and supports it within an opening 23 in the front plate 4, the disc A resting against lips 64 on the chute 22 in a position from which it can be readily collected by the user in return for the coin B which the user has inserted in the lock mechanism.

The coin selector C may be of any suitable known construction and accordingly has not been described in detail. An acceptable coin B after tripping pawl 11 drops off from ridge 17 of quadrant plate 9 into a guideway 65 down which it rolls for eventual delivery through a common coin duct 86 (FIG. 9) leading to a till (not shown) accessible through a locked door 169.

In the course of its displacement from beneath the magazine 21 to the delivery chute 22 the extracted disc A is caused to set or condition the disc selector D in conformity to dimensional characteristics peculiar to the extracted disc, so that said disc selector will subsequently accept only the extracted disc. An exact duplicate of the extracted disc A would, of course, be accepted by the set or conditioned disc selector D, but the combinations of dimensions of diameter and thickness and also of the position of any detectable surface formation (if used) are so numerous that the possible existence of such a duplicate is so remote as to be practically negligible.

The turning of the knob 6, possible only after coin insertion which effects delivery of a disc A effects also the projection of the bolt 13 to lock the locker door 16, after the user of the locker has deposited his goods for safe keeping therewithin and closed the door 16. The locker user retains the delivered disc A to secure access to the appropriate rented locker Z at any time during the purchased rental period, for instance, twenty four hours. At the end of say a twenty-four hour period, prescribed for the whole installation, a locker attendant is able, by operating a control device, as hereinafter described, and which he alone can operate, to over-ride the lock mechanism so as to unlock the locker door 16, to remove the goods deposited in the locker for safe-keeping else- I The diameter check is made as the disc A is being extracted, and while it is mapped in the aperture M- in the slide 20 against an edge 25 of said aperture. As disc A is carried past a movable abutment constituted by a block 26 rockably mounted on a pin 27 it imparts a slight rocking movement to block 26. An upwardly directed blade 28 is attached to block 26 for movement therewith, said blade 28 having a set of teeth 29 on its upper edge for co-operation with a check pawl 3t), which is pivotally mounted on a pin 66 carried by the bracket 48. The pawl 36 is biased into engagement with blade teeth 29 by a tension spring 31 anchored to said bracket 48. The rock ing movement imparted to block 26 according to the diameter a of the disc A (FIG. 10) being delivered, even to the small extent of .010 of an inch, is magnified by the blade 23 sufliciently to afford a movement equal to at least one tooth space between teeth 29 to ensure positive latching of the blade 28 by its check pawl 30.

This diameter setting movement is also transferred to the disc selector D which is thus set or conditioned to determine the acceptable diameter of the disc which may pass therethrough. That is, the rocking movement imparted to the block 26 by reason of the particular diameter of the disc A being delivered to the user is transmitted through an adjustable connecting rod 67 (FIG. 1) to a diameter setting plate 68 forming part of the disc selector D and hinged on an axle 69 along one edge thereof to brackets 7%, 71 extending from a fixed leaf 72. The setting plate 68 is spring urged by spring 77 fixed to lug 7% on fixed leaf 72, so that plate 63 is always in contact with setting rod 67, which in turn is positioned by pawl 30 engaging with a suitable tooth 29 on blade 28. When a previously extracted disc A is inserted into the lock mechanism through the slot 8 for the purpose of the user gaining access to a locked locker, said disc is adapted to pass beneath the hinged plate 68, as it rolls down an inclined bottom track 73. The other or outer edge of plate 68, that is, the edge remote from hinge axle 69, is formed with a rebate 74 against the side wall 75 of which the side of the disc A contacts as it rolls along track 73. The top face 76 of the rebate 74 determines the maximum diameter of disc which for any particular setting or conditioning of the disc selector D can pass under diameter setting plate 68, and the depth of rebate wall 75 determines the acceptable minimum diameter of disc.

If the disc A inserted has a diameter which is smaller than the acceptable minimum diameter it will be temporarily retained on, and eventually drop ofi sideways from the bottom track 73, to be returned to the inserter of the disc, as hereinafter described. It is to be understood that the smaller diameter disc is only retained on track 73 while it can rest against the main supporting wall of the selector D, or is held by plate 68; that is, wall 165 has a cutaway portion through which protrudes plate 68, so that when the disc is no longer supported by wall 65 it will fall off track 73 sideways if not large enough to be supported by plate 68.

Similarly if the diameter a of an inserted disc A is above the maximum diameter which the disc selector D is set to accept, the over-diameter disc lodges against the forward end of diameter setting plate 68 and again is eventually returned to the inserter. The unacceptable disc is released to drop oif track 73 the next time knob 6 is turned by reason of the hinged leaf 99, to which track 73 is secured being swung on pivot 11%, thus allowing any retained disc to fall through the now-enlarged gap 101. The hinged setting plate 68 is biased toward track 73 by tension spring 77 extending between lug 78 on fixed leaf 72 and said setting plate 66.

It will be understood therefore that the disc selector D is set or conditioned differently by each disc delivered, and by the disc during the course of its delivery, that is, the rod 67 sets the diameter setting plate 68 for subsequent acceptance only of a disc having the diameter of the issued disc. The upper end of rod 67 is guided in a plate 79 pivoted for swivelling on a pin 88 carried by a bracket 31 fixed on the carrier bracket 1, in order that by swivelling said guide plate W the point of contact of the rod 67 with diameter setting plate 68 may be adjusted to provide for said plate an amount of lift at the rebated edge thereof which is exactly that required for subsequent acceptance by the disc selector D of the issued disc, so far as concerns its diameter. The swivel guide plate 79 is securable in its adjusted position by a screw clamp 82 engaging bracket 81.

The fixed leaf 72 of the disc selector D is adjustably mounted on the main mounting wall 165 the disc selector D by screws 33 engaging slots 34 in fixed leaf 72.

The above referred to thickness check is also made during delivery of the disc A extracted from beneath the magazine 21 by passing said disc A, while still trapped in aperture 24 in slide 21 beneath a bar 32 having a slightly inclined contact face 33, so that whatever the thickness 1) of the disc A (and it may differ from another only by say .010 of an inch) some slight upward displacement of the bar 32 is always effected. This slight displacement is multiplied by a cranked lever 34 pivotally mounted on a fixed pin 35 carried by and connected by pivot pin 36 to said bar 32. The bar 32 is slidably supported on shouldered screws 85 screwed into carrier bracket 1 and engaging slots (not shown) in said bar 32.

To the lever 34 is secured a blade 37 terminating in an end face provided with a series of teeth 33 which co-operate with a pawl 39 rockable on a fixed pivot pin 419 carried by carrier bracket 1 and biased toward said teeth 38 by a tension spring 41 anchored to a post 87 upstanding from the base 2. The movement imparted to bar 32 commensurate with the thickness of the issuing disc A is also transmitted to the disc selector D so that only a disc of the same thickness can pass through the disc selector to a position where it is effective to unlock the locker door 16. Endwise displacement of bar 32 is limited by engagement of a notch 88 therein with a lug 89 on a plate 911 carried by the carrier bracket 1.

Transmission of the movement of bar 32 to the disc selector for setting or conditioning for subsequent disc thickness check is-eifected through an adjustable stop 91 (FIG. 4) carried at the upper end of said bar 32 so as to contact a ball-ended screw 92 carried on a stirrup 93 pivotably mounted on the carrier bracket 1 by a hinge pin 94; the stirrup 93 has connected thereto a tension spring 95 (FIGS. 1 and 3) anchored to a post 96 on the carrier bracket 1 so as to bias the bell-ended screw 92 into contact with the stop 91 on the thickness check bar 32. The stirrup 93 is provided with an extending limb 97 which passes through an opening 98 in main wall 165 of disc selector D and bears against the bottom track 73 which is secured to the lower end of a hinged leaf 9? supported on pivot bar 1% by the main wall 165 of disc selector D (see FIG. 7).

The ball-ended screw 92 and the co-operating stop 91 can be adjusted so that the point of contact therebetween gives just that amount of leverage to the hinged leaf 99 as will set the bottom track 73 to reproduce the required disc thickness setting. The track 73 may be variably spaced from the fixed leaf 72 to provide a gap 181 which is settable to allow of the passage therethrough of a disc which has a thickness below the minimum thickness for which the disc selector D is set at any particular time. The track 73 is also provided with a rebate 192, as in the case of diameter setting plate 68, to provide a narrow ledge 193 which supports an acceptable-thickness disc resting laterally against the fixed leaf '72. If the inserted disc A is too thick for the disc selector setting it cannot drop onto the rebate ledge 1113 and thus the disc fails to clear the diameter setting plate 613 and will be held up on track 73.

For the purpose of clearing the track 73 of any disc held up thereon for any reason the hinged leaf 99 of the disc selector D, which is normally biased to the closed position by a spring 104 coiled around the hinge pin 1110 of said leaf'99, is adapted to be swung open during the course of turning the operating knob 6. This may be effected, as shown, by swivel-mounting a block 105 on a swivel pin 1% carried by a bracket 167 secured to the carrier bracket 1, said block 105 projecting into the path of the peripheral edge 12 of the quadrant plate 9. A rod 198 is fixed to and upstands from block 1115 and has a cranked limb 109 engaging a lug 110 on the hinged leaf 99, so that as the quadrant plate 9 is turned by means of knob 6 the block 195 is swivelled on its pin 196 and the cranked limb 109 of rod 16% operates to swing said leaf open, so that any disc resting on track 73, being now deprived of lateral support from said leaf 99, drops into a return chute 111 by which the unacceptable disc is returned to the main disc delivery chute 22 for recovery by the person who inserted the disc.

If, however, the inserted disc is acceptable by the disc selector D and thus functions to release the quadrant plate 9 to allow the locker door to be unlocked, the accepted disc drops off the lower end of disc track 73 and rests on a guide plate 112, by which it is guided to the release position, that is, behind the tail of pawl 18, so that as the knob 6 is turned the pawl 111 is cammed aside by the disc clear of engagement with abutment 47, to withdraw the bolt 13, after which the accepted disc A is released and guided by plate 21a into hopper 21.

In connection with the arresting of an incorrect disc inserted into the lock mechanism, it has been found that where the inserted disc is of acceptable diameter but is held up on disc track 73 because of being too thick for the existing setting of the disc selector D, there is the possibility of unauthorised opening of the associated locker by turning knob 6 just sulficient to ease open the hinged leaf 99 of said disc selector to the small extent necessary to allow the over-thick disc to run oh the track 73 and en route to effect release of the lock. As a safeguard against such mis-use of the lock mechanism a rocker 113 pivoted to the carrier bracket 1 by a pin 114 has a foot portion 115 adapted for contact by a suitable part of the quadrant plate 9 so as to rock said rocker 113 on its pin 114. This rocking causes a wire feeler 116 mounted on the upper part of said rocker 113 to project into the path of the disc on the track 73 to prevent said disc running off said track. The wire feeler 116 remains in this obstructing position until the hinged leaf 99 of the disc selector D has been opened sufhciently to allow any disc held up on track 73 to drop off therefrom laterally into the return chute 111.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the disc selector D as thus far described will only accept a disc, which has the correct diameter a and thickness b. When the correct disc is inserted and the locker opened, the disc selected D is then reset to normal by the moving of pawls 30 and 39 from engagement with teeth 29 and 38 on blades 28 and 37 respectively. This is effected during an unlocking movement of shaft 5 by abutment faces 117 and 118 engaging pawls 3t) and 39 respectively, abutment face 117 being provided on quadrant plate 9 and abutment face 118 being provided on the boss 119 of web 15.

The combinations possible on the basis of thickness and diameter may again be very much increased by instituting a further check, that is, for surface form variation. That is, discs of various diameter and thickness combinations may have circular recesses formed in both faces of the disc, and one or more probes provided which each need to enter a recess to allow of acceptance of the disc.

The disc A illustrated in FIG. 10 is fashioned to permit of this additional check being applied, that is, said disc has on each of its opposite faces an annular surface groove c of a certain depth d. In the particular form of disc illustrated both grooves c, each concentric to the disc periphery e, are of the same mean diameter 1 so that either groove will react to the additional surface groove check. It is thus immaterial which way round the disc A is inserted into disc slot 8, because one or other of the grooves 0 will be opposite to a surface groove checking device, one form of which is illustrated in FIG. 7. It is to be understood that for a particular range of discs of differing diameters and/ or thicknesses the diameter of the groove 0 is fixed and this additional surface-formation check simply ascertains whether or not a disc is provided with a groove c.

The surface groove checking device illustrated comprises a three-armed rocker 120 pivotally mounted on a pin 121 carried by a bracket 122 fixed to the hinged leaf 99 of the disc selector D. On one arm 123 of rocker 121) is pivoted on pin 12 a probe 125 which projects through an opening 126 in a setting plate 127 adjustably supported on bracket 122 by screw fasteners 129 screwing into said bracket and passing through a slot 136 in the setting plate 127. By means of said setting plate 127 the point of the probe may be set at various distances above the track 73 and thus only enters the surface groove 0 of a disc which is of a particular mean diameter f.

The disc A as it rolls down track 73 is adapted to move onto and depress another arm 131 of the rocker 126, the effect of which is to rock said rocker, against the counteracting influence of a balance weight forming part of the third rocker arm 132, and thus urge the probe 125 forward toward the disc A. A stop 133 on bracket 122 limits the rearward swing of rocker 1211. Unless the disc has a surface groove c of the required size the probe 125 will not enter said groove and the obstructing rocker arm 131 will be unable to move down sufficiently to allow the disc to run off the track 73. The unacceptable disc is thus held up on the track 73 and is dropped off into return chute 111 when the hinge leaf 99 of the disc selector D, and with it the probe-rocker 126, are swung open by the cranked limb 169 of rod 168 on swivel block 165 on the latter being engaged by quadrant plate 9.

When the locker is not in use, the coin slot 7 is open and the disc slot 8 is closed, but when the locker has been rented the coin slot 7 is closed and the disc slot 8 open. These conditions are brought about automatically by pivotably mounting a rocker 134 on the flange 3 (FIG. by a pin 135 and connecting said rocker 134 by a pinand-slot connection 136 to the upper end of a lever 137 also pivotally mounted on the flange 3 by a pin 138. The lower end of said lever 137 is adapted to be contacted and pressed back by a freely revoluble roller 139 carried on a pin 140 projecting from the sectoral web on the shaft 5. The opposite ends of rocker 134 are shaped to form tongues 141 and 14-2 adapted to obstruct a coin chute and a disc chute 144 respectively, this obstructing being effected just within the coin slot '7 and disc slot 8 respectively to prevent insertion of a coin if the coin slot '7 is obstructed or of a disc if the disc slot 8 is obstructed. As the shaft 5 is rocked by the knob 6 to effect either the unlocking or the locking of the locker door 16, the rocker 134 is moved by the lever 137 and alternately blocks either the coin slot 7 or the disc slot 8. The rocker 134 serves also to afford a visual indication of the condition of the lock mechanism by having marked thereon suitable words, such as Empty and In Use, which are visible through a window 145 in the front plate 4 (FIG. 8).

Reference has already been made to an over-riding control which an attendant can operate to secure access to a rented locker when the purchased rental period has expired, and this over-riding control is preferably one which is operable without removing or releasing the lock unit as a whole. One such control is illustrated and cornprises a key-operable lock 146 having a rotatable barrel 147 adapted for turning by means of a key 148 (shown in chain-dotted lines in FIG. 1) insertable from the exterior into a key slot 149 in front plate 4, normally covered by a pendulum cover plate 159. The turning motion of the barrel 147 is transmitted through an arm 151 to a rod 152 through a length-adjustable pivotal connection 153 to produce an endwise displacement of said rod 152 which effects rocking of an over-ride lever 154 pivoted to the carrier bracket 1 on a pin 155. The lever 154 has a laterally projecting lug 156 which, as the key 148 is turned and the lever 154 thus swung down, moves into the path of release pawl 16, so as to serve in the same manner as an inserted disc A, that is, to trip said pawl 14 when knob 6 is turned by the attendant and thus unlock the door 16.

For the purpose of bodily removing any lock unit X from the common cabinet Y in which they are mounted alongside of their respective lockers Z (FIG. 9), the lower end of the front plate 4 of each lock unit is adapted to hook into an opening Y in the cabinet and to be retained in position by a key-releasable lock 157.

Another safeguard is incorporated in the lock unit illustrated, that is, a means to ensure that the locker door has been pushed into the closed position before the bolt can be moved to the locked position, thus ensuring that the locker door 16 must be closed and capable of being locked before the knob 6 can be turned after insertion of an acceptable coin. This safeguard comprises a pearshaped plate 158 hung in pendulum manner on a pin 159 carried by the bracket 56 secured to the flange 3, and having an opening 161 through which the bolt 13 can project. This opening 161 is so disposed that when the plate 158 hangs freely the end of bolt 13 is obstructed by the plate and hence the bolt cannot be moved into the locking position. In order to swing said pendulum plate 158 to the position wherein the opening 161 aligns with the bolt 13, a projecting pin 162 is provided on said plate which is adapted for engagement by the rim of the locker door 16, so that the door must be in its closed position before it can be locked. The swing of the pendulum plate 158 is limited by a stop pin 163 on bracket 56 co-operating with a curved slot 164 in said plate.

Whilst one specific construction of lock mechanism has been described herein it is to be understood that variations and modifications therein may be effected which are limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lock mechanism for a door comprising a framework having iixed abutments thereon, a disc magazine on said framework, a coin selector on said framework, a disc selector on said framework, a turnshaft rockable on said framework, a quadrant on said turnshaft, circumferentially spaced pivoted pawls on said quadrant engageable alternately with said fixed abutments unless tripped by a coin accepted by said coin selector or a disc accepted by said disc selector, and supported by said quadrant, disc extracting means operable by said turnshaft, a projectable door bolt reciprocatable in required direction by said turnshaft for locking and unlocking when said quadrant is released as the appropriate pawl is tripped by a coin or disc, and an exteriorly accessible user operating member for rocking said released quadrant and turnshaft to extract a disc and move said door bolt, said disc selector comprising separate setting devices having movement-multiplying levers adapted for precise dimensional conditioning movement according to the thickness and diameter of said extracted disc during delivery to the user, a disc of identical thickness and diameter being required for the subsequent successive acceptance of said disc by said conditioned setting devices of said disc selector.

2. A coin-controlled lock mechanism for mounting adjacent a locker door, said mechanism comprising a framework; a magazine on said framework for a stack of release elements each differing from another in at least one dimension; a locking bolt on said framework for cooperation with said locker door; an operating element on said framework for actuating said bolt to effect a permitted locking movement consequent upon insertion of an acceptable coin and to effect a permitted unlocking movement consequent upon insertion of an acceptable release element; first retention means on said framework releasable by an acceptable coin inserted by a prospective locker user for permitting locking movement of said bolt; second retention means on said framework releasable by an acceptable release element inserted by said user for permitting unlocking movement of said bolt; coin selector means on said framework for testing an inserted coin for acceptability and for positioning said accepted coin for permitting bolt operation; release element extraction means on said framework actuated by said operating element to extract release elements singly in succession from said stack thereof in said magazine and to deliver said extracted release element to said locker user; at least two separate dimension checking means influenced respectively by corresponding dimensions of the extracted release element as it is being delivered; and release element selector means adapted for positioning said accepted release element for permitting bolt operation and cnditioned by at least two dimension checking means to set said disc selector means for subsequent acceptance only of that extracted release element which during its delivery brought about such conditioning of said disc selector means.

3. A coin-controlled lock mechanism for mounting a locker door, said mechanism comprising a framework; a magazine on said framework for a stack of discs each having a diameter dimension and a thickness dimension and differing from each other in at least one of said dimensions; a locking bolt on said framework for cooperation with said locker door; an operating element on said framework for actuating said bolt to eflect a permitted locking movement consequent upon insertion of an acceptable coin and to effect a permitted unlocking movement consequent upon insertion of an acceptable disc; first retention means on said framework releasable by an acceptable coin inserted by a prospective locker user for permitting locking movement of said bolt; second retention means on said framework releasable by an acceptable disc inserted by said user for permitting unlocking movement of said bolt; coin selector means on said framework for testing an inserted coin for acceptability and for positioning said accepted coin for permitting bolt operation; disc extraction means on said framework actuated by said operating element to extract discs singly in succession from said stack of discs in said magazine and to deliver said extracted disc to said locker user; a single disc diameter checking means influenced by the diameter of the extracted disc as it is being delivered; a single disc thickness checking means influenced by the thickness of the extracted disc as it is being delivered; and disc selector means operable to position said accepted disc for permitting bolt operation, and conditioned by said disc diameter and thickness checking means to set said disc selector means for subsequent acceptance only of that extracted disc which during its delivery brought about such conditioning of said disc selector means.

4. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 3, including bolt-shifting means movable to and fro on said framework for controlling locking and unlocking movements of said bolt, and connected to said exteriorly accessible operating element on said framework for movement thereby, and pivoted pawl means carried by said bolt-shifting means and normally arrested by abutment surfaces on said framework to prevent operative movement of said bolt-shifting means, but adapted for cooperation successively with an acceptable coin and with an acceptable disc to permit of suflicient movement of said bolt-shifting means to permit of the projection and withdrawal of said bolt.

5. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 4, in which said bolt-shifting means includes a rocker carrying two pivoted pawls which are tripped appropriately as said rocker is swung to and fro by said exteriorly accessible operating element.

6. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that said rocker temporarily supports a coin or a disc while the appropriate pawl is being tripped thereby.

7. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said rocker is geared to a slide for extracting a disc from one end of the stack thereof in the disc magazine, said extracted disc as it is carried along by the slide influencing diameter and thickness checking devices which set movable surfaces in said disc selector to an extent sufiicient to condition said disc selector for operating only by the ubsequent acceptance by said movable surface of the disc which was earlier extracted.

8. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 7, wherein the disc selector comprises a fixed wall and a leaf hinged thereto, said hinged leaf carrying an inclined track along which the inserted disc may roll beneath a head plate hinged to the fixed wall, said track on the hinged leaf and said hinged plate on the fixed wall constituting the movable surfaces which previously had been set by linkages influenced by the disc during its extraction and delivery.

9. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that each checking device comprises a tooth-end movement-multiplying lever system co-operating with a holding pawl which retains the checking device in the adjusted position after the passage of the disc which influenced the checking device, said holding pawl being operated to release the multiplying lever system when subsequently the extracted disc is reinserted to coact with the rocker to withdraw the locking bolt.

10. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 7, in which the diameter checking device comprises a plate rockably mounted adjacent said slide for contacting an edge of a disc trapped in and flatly disposed within an aperture in the slide, a tooth-ended blade extending from said rockable platesaid plate and blade constituting said diameter movement-multiplying lever system-21 holding pawl pivoted adjacent said toothed blade end of the blade spring means biasing said pawl into engagement with said toothed blade end, and a pivoted connecting rod extending between said rockable plate and the pivoted head plate of the disc selector.

11. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein means are provided for adjusting the point of contact between said connecting rod and said head plate to alter the leverage applied to the head plate.

12. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 7, in which the thickness checking device comprises a vertical bar with an inclined underface supported for slight upward displacement relative to and above the top face of a flatly disposed disc adapted to be passed beneath the inclined underface of said bar, so that any disc imparts some displacement to said bar, a rocker pivotally mounted adjacent to said bar and pivotally connected thereto, a tooth-ended blade attached to said rocker-said rocker and blade constituting the thickness movement multiplying lever systema holding pawl pivoted adjacent said toothed blade end, spring means biasing said pawl into engagement with said toothed blade end, an adjustable stop on said upwardly displaceable bar, and a motion transmitting member pivotally mounted above said bar and having a projecting limb for adjusting the opening between the hinged leaf carrying the disc track and the fixed wall of the disc selector.

13. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 12, wherein the thickness checking device cooperates With the flatly disposed disc while it is undergoing diameter checking in the aperture of the moving extraction slide.

14. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the rocker comprises a toothed quadrant plate which pivotally supports the coin and disc coacting pawls on part of its periphery, and is fixed to a rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, said shaft projecting from the lock mechanism to receive an operating knob which is the only operable element accessible to the 13 person operating said mechanism and said shaft having secured thereto a sectoral toothed-edge web to which one end of a locker door bolt is directly pivoted and with the toothed edge of which a pawl co-acts to compel the imparting of full-stroke movement to the shaft and quadrant plate whichever direction the knob is turned.

15. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 14, further characterised in that abutment faces on members carried by said shaft serve to disengage the spring-biased pawls from the respective toothed-end blades of the diameter and thickness checking devices.

16. Lock mechanism as claimed in claim 8, including means for exploring a disc to check a surface formation thereon, and comprising a three-armed lever having on one arm a pivoted probe normally swung back out of the range of a disc on the disc selector track by a second, weighted arm of said lever, the third arm of the lever lying athwart the path of a disc rolling down from said track and adapted for depression by said disc to swing the lever forward to bring the probe into the disc-engaging position.

17. Lock mechanism according to claim 4, including an References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 764,360 Jackman July 5, 1904 1,022,670 Grey Apr. 9, 1912 1,091,560 Burton Mar. 31, 1914 1,245,391 Schmidt Nov. 6, 1917 1,335,966 Horsman Apr. 6, 1920 1,458,539 Murrell June 12, 1923 1,928,419 Gilmore Sept. 26, 1933 2,707,043 Garver Apr. 26, 1955 2,760,618 Eason Aug. 28, 1956 

1. A LOCK MECHANISM FOR A DOOR COMPRISING A FRAMEWORK HAVING FIXED ABUTMENTS THEREON, A DISC MAGAZINE ON SAID FRAMEWORK, A COIN SELECTOR ON SAID FRAMEWORK, A DISC SELECTOR ON SAID FRAMEWORK, A TURNSHAFT ROCKABLE ON SAID FRAMEWORK, A QUADRANT ON SAID TURNSHAFT, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PIVOTED PAWLS ON SAID QUADRANT ENGAGEABLE ALTERNATELY WITH SAID FIXED ABUTMENTS UNLESS TRIPPED BY A COIN ACCEPTED BY SAID COIN SELECTOR OR A DISC ACCEPTED BY SAID DISC SELECTOR, AND SUPPORTED BY SAID QUADRANT, DISC EXTRACTING MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID TURNSHAFT, A PROJECTABLE DOOR BOLT RECIPROCATABLE IN REQUIRED DIRECTION BY SAID TURNSHAFT FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHEN SAID QUADRANT IS RELEASED AS THE APPROPRIATE PAWL IS TRIPPED BY A COIN OR DISC, AND AN EXTERIORLY ACCESSIBLE USER OPERATING MEMBER FOR ROCKING SAID RELEASED QUADRANT AND TURNSHAFT TO EXTRACT A DISC AND MOVE SAID DOOR BOLT, SAID DISC SELECTOR COMPRISING SEPARATE SETTING DEVICES HAVING MOVEMENT-MULTIPLYING LEVERS ADAPTED FOR PRECISE DIMENSIONAL CONDITIONING MOVEMENT ACCORDING TO THE THICKNESS AND DIAMETER OF SAID EXTRACTED DISC DURING DELIVERY TO THE USER, A DISC OF IDENTICAL THICKNESS AND DIAMETER BEING REQUIRED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT SUCCESSIVE ACCEPTANCE OF SAID DISC BY SAID CONDITIONED SETTING DEVICES OF SAID DISC SELECTOR. 